Oller's Second Thoughts: Angry Ohio State fans should pluck the Peacock, listen on radio
Pluck the bird. Listen to radio instead. That’s my protest message to Ohio State fans frustrated by Saturday’s noon Buckeyes game at Purdue, which is available for viewing only on the Peacock streaming service. For a $5.99 monthly subscription fee.
Pluck it. Go old-school by listening to play-by-play voice Paul Keels, analyst Jim Lachey and sideline reporter Matt Andrews on the radio. It won’t kill you, but it will bruise NBCUniversal, which owns Peacock. Don’t worry, NBC will survive.
Yes, I’m being that “get off my lawn guy” here, because I like green in my lawn more than in the Peacock’s pocket. You can read more about the what and why of the Big Ten’s deal with NBC here, but the details don’t change anything as far as my proposed Peacock boycott. (Actually, the Big Ten deserves some heat, too, so maybe go rake leaves instead of watching other conference games.)
Ohio State football: 'The way of the future': Buckeyes football enters the streaming era with game on Peacock
Radio used to be the thing, back before every Buckeyes game was televised (Note: the last time an OSU game was not on TV was Nov. 8, 1997, at Minnesota). Bob Fritz (1949-54) was the original “Voice of the Buckeyes,” and others followed. I recall listening to Chuck Underwood and Bob Connors in the early 1980s.
I’m not going to drop a “Those were the days” on you, but it would not be the worst thing in the world to give Keels and Lachey the spotlight for a day. More than a few fans turn off the TV sound and listen to radio anyway, so this will be the same thing, only with no picture. And if you think you can game the system by going to just any old bar to watch, well, not so fast.
I realize there exist two camps on the streaming issue. Camp 1, the majority of which is filled by younger OSU fans, wonders what the big deal is. Streaming already is commonplace, not just something that will happen in the future. Get used to it. Join the 21st century. Blah, blah, blah.
Camp 2 is filled by fans who undoubtedly will, at about 11:50 a.m. Saturday, sit down in their favorite chair and flip on the TV to watch the Buckeyes. Oops. They’ve heard of Peacock, but have become so used to watching OSU for free, or via their cable provider as part of a package, that paying anything extra is a bridge too far. Plus, where do you watch Peacock? On your phone? Tablet? Laptop? PC? Smart TV? (My 95-year-old mother wants to know.)
Ohio State football: Planning to watch the Buckeyes' game at a bar? Better make sure it has Peacock.
Camp 1 faces no similar confusion, being familiar with Peacock primarily because it broadcasts Premier League soccer.
Camp 2 couldn’t name three teams in the Premier League.
Eventually, Camp 2 will need to get with the program, because streaming is to network TV what digital media subscriptions are to free web browsing. At some point you have to pay the piper. Capitalism, and all that. (Shameless plug: Dispatch readers can get six months of unlimited digital access – and read all about the Buckeyes – for $1.)
Here’s my semi-serious question/beef: If paying for streaming, why the need for commercials? Shouldn’t the subscription cost cut down the need for game interruptions? I get that subs pay only pennies on the dollar, but what benefits are we getting for the hassle of paying extra?
Get off my lawn.
Paid to talk: journalism vs. entertainment
The New York Post reported Thursday that Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers gets paid more than seven figures per year to appear weekly on “The Pat McAfee Show.” Alabama coach Nick Saban also gets paid.
McAfee confirmed on his show that he pays guests, explaining that is “what business is.”
Is this shocking? No. Surprising? No. But let’s be clear, paying guests compromises any claim to executing responsible journalism. Not that McAfee claims to be a journalist. He is an entertainer. Nothing wrong with that. Just don’t be fooled into thinking his guests are anything but paid purveyors of their own agendas, not objective “reporters.”
That might seem obvious to some, but others treat McAfee’s show as a sports version of reality TV, where it’s enough to know the “facts” happening in front of the camera, without caring about the truthful real life taking place behind the scenes.
Listening in
“Wore a personalized T-shirt. Maybe an inappropriate word. … If they want to fine me, they fine me. … I’d do it again.” – San Francisco tight end George Kittle, on his decision to lift his game jersey to show a printed “F Dallas” shirt, with the last three letters of the F-word hidden by white tape.
Off-topic
What happened to the flavor of Red Delicious apples? As a kid, they tasted sweet, at least by standards of the day. Now? Bland as sawdust. I asked information expert/assistant sports editor Lori Schmidt, who quickly came up with the answer: the RD is a victim of its own success, with commercial growers selecting fruit for longer storage and supermarket “curb” appeal instead of flavor. Memo to growers: don’t mess with my Honeycrisp.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football fans should boycott Peacock, listen on radio
